Is there an end in sight for no masks?

[Kathunk]

Off the back of seeing the world leaders at G7 with no social distancing or masks (yes I know they will have been fully vaccinated and tested etc)...
When do you predict we will see an end to wearing masks?
I know lots of people aren’t having to wear them if they are in offices but I work in education and our school requires them to be worn outside as well as inside, it’s been tough all year but unbearable in this heat.
Also creating a lovely sweat storm which is doing wonders for my complexion

I wear a mask when required, but I certainly wouldn’t go, say, browsing in a ‘non-essential’ shop, to a museum, concert etc wearing one. I would rather stay away than do this. And I would limit ‘non-essential’ trips on public transport for the same reason, beyond a short journey. I know lots of people who feel like this.

Nephew bought me some shopping yesterday. He said about 50% of the people in the supermarket wore no masks and many of those who had them were wearing them off their noses or under their chins. A few weeks ago he always used to arrive wearing a mask but now he no longer bothers as he has had his two vaccinations.

Anyone who is public facing gets sneezed or coughed on. How privileged to have reached the age of nearly 60 and never have had it happened

I worked in several public facing roles while a student. Never considered myself privileged. Now I know

I worked in several public facing roles while a student. Never considered myself privileged. Now I know*

Teachers seem to think they are a special case even though many industries have worked through this with next to non mitigation.

@Figmentofmyimagination I completely agree and have done the same as you. However this has meant that we have not been further than our local area since March 2020. I can cope with continuing with masks if they remain compulsory, but I'm really keen to see the lifting of them for young children on public transport. We need to travel at some point.

@BonnieDundee

Wildswim

Nope! I think we will be wearing them in public places for years to come.

You might, I can assure you I won't

Ditto this! I certainly won't be, I have painful acne on my face and neck from wearing one all day at work, humid ward environment. Our and about I feel it's my freedom to choose.

Actually I have been coughed on in my job as a checkout assistant, not everyone considers others around them. I also have people pulling down their masks and licking their fingers so they can get the money out of their purses/wallets, disgusting even before coronavirus.

You won't know if they're vaccinated or not, either, and I'm assuming that all attendees of the G7 are fully vaccinated

So it must surely follow that ordinary members of the public who have been fully vaccinated shouldnt have to wear them then.

Except the mental gymnastics on this board shows that its the opposite.

If someone has symptomatic Covid and is "sneezing and coughing", they should be isolating anyway. So that argument does not work.

I really struggle to see that they are particularly effective with regards to asymptomatic spread. Also, I think people took more care to distance before the masks became mandatory.

@TheClaws

You were saying

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/13/st-ives-concerns-over-covid-cases-linked-g7-summit-hospitality-venues-close?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1623600343

Was inside on ariverboat today in London) (too hot to be on deck£ and realised had no mask with me. lLuckily no-one including the staff had one. Hallelujah -at least some sanity!

If someone has symptomatic Covid and is "sneezing and coughing", they should be isolating anyway

Unless they think it's a cold/just a cough or hayfever or they just don't care about getting a test/isolating so that argument really does work sadly.

Is there actually any evidence masks do anything? I for one do not wear one outside in the school playground it's just ridiculous but it's sad how many people just comply 😬

It ends right now. Just take it off!!!!

@Pootle40

Is there actually any evidence masks do anything? I for one do not wear one outside in the school playground it's just ridiculous but it's sad how many people just comply 😬

Absolutely, it's so sad how people comply with this nonsense.

@Pootle40

Is there actually any evidence masks do anything? I for one do not wear one outside in the school playground it's just ridiculous but it's sad how many people just comply 😬

www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02801-8

Masks do help. Wear them if you want this to end.

I always assume that people who whinge about masks - unless they have a very serious medical or mental health reason not to wear them - are also likely to be people who have had people round their houses and taken little notice of lockdowns. So best avoided!

Bollocks, I hate masks but stick to all the rules! In fact I avoid people/places far more than the average person, such is my loathing of masks. Not been in a shop since March 2020, not eaten out, visited anyone, gone to any indoor activities (and I used to love museums, galleries etc). Done lots outside though!

I’ve noticed a lot more non-compliance of late. I’ve been in situations where we should be wearing masks (eg work, church) where someone has suggested we don’t because nobody will know, we’ve all had two vaccines etc.

I have suffered from hay fever for the last five decades.

2020 and 2021 have been the only years where I haven't shown any symptoms at all.

2020 and 2021 have been the only years where I have been wearing a mask.

Coincidence?

Jourdain11 I too think social distancing was greatly reduced when masks came in.
Asda have so-called antibacterial trolley handles. Although the level of mask wearing was high hardly anyone used the handgel.

@NannyAndJohn

I have suffered from hay fever for the last five decades.

2020 and 2021 have been the only years where I haven't shown any symptoms at all.

2020 and 2021 have been the only years where I have been wearing a mask.

Coincidence?

Do you wear a mask all the time? I have hay fever and the masks have made no difference. But then I’m not wearing one outside or in my own home

I have had all the usual allergies this year, mask or no mask.

Masks do help. Wear them if you want this to end

If we want what to end? Covid is endemic. It's going nowhere, it's not going to 'end'. So how long should we have to wear masks?

I haven’t seen any correlation between masks and hayfever. I normally get it quite badly. Last year it wasn’t as bad as normal, this year it’s worse than normal. My mask wearing levels have stayed about the same (work plus occasional shopping trips).

I don’t see how masks and reduced hay fever symptoms can correlate for most people. The places where you wear masks are the places least likely to trigger hay fever symptoms. Unless you wear the mask permanently, including in your own home